1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a radio selective call receiver, and more particularly, to a radio selective call receiver in which common data can be received in an emergency mode in addition to an individual data.
2. Description of the Related Art
Since the large earthquake in Kobe, the development of appliances such as an AM radio and a generator for disaster is remarkable. Therefore, it could be considered to use a pager as such an appliance having a wide cover area and long battery life and excellent in portability.
Generally, in the radio selective call receiver such as a pager, it is desirable that an individual data can be received in a normal mode. Also, it is desirable that the normal mode and an emergency mode in urgent disaster are automatically switched, and all the pagers can receive a common message in the emergency mode. Moreover, it is desirable to notify the reception of the common message in the emergency mode in a different sound from the normal mode. It is desirable that the sound level is set to a low level to save battery power, after confirming the common message in the emergency mode.
In conjunction with the above description, a paging receiver is described in Japanese Laid Open Patent application (JP-A-Showa 64-39132). In this reference, the receiver has a notifying unit of a sound source which is adjustable in sound volume or is possible in the ON/OFF control of sound generation for notice of call arrival. When a predetermined urgent call information is received, the call arrival is notified in the maximum sound volume irrespective of setting of the notifying unit.
Also, a selective call receiver is described in Japanese Laid Open Patent application (JP-A-Heisei 4-175019). In this reference, the receiver includes a pass word storage unit, a pass word detecting unit, a memory, a message storage control unit, a display unit and a message display control unit. The pass word detecting unit detects whether a pass word stored in the pass word detecting unit is present in a message. The message is stored in the memory by the message storage control unit to have a low priority when the pass word is not detected in the message by the pass word detecting unit and to have a high priority when the pass word is detected in the message by the pass word detecting unit. The message display control unit reads out the messages from the memory in order of higher priority in response to a message read operation to display on the display unit.
Also, a paging receiver is described in Japanese Laid Open Utility Model application (JP-U-Heisei 4-57938). In this reference, a special code is detected from a received message. When the special code is detected, a call sound continues to be generated for a longer time period than that when the special code is not detected, until a user performs an input operation to stop the call sound.
Also, a paging system is described in Japanese Laid Open Patent application (JP-A-Heisei 9-247720). In this reference, a radio selective call unit outputs an individual call signal and a broadcast call signal. Individual selective call receivers are called based on the individual call signals, respectively. The receivers are collectively called based on the broadcast call signal. The radio selective call unit outputs the individual call signal when an individual call instruction signal is received from a public telephone line. Also, the radio selective call unit outputs the broadcast call signal when a broadcast call instruction signal is received from the public telephone line or a console connected thereto.
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a method of notifying an emergency message and a radio selective call receiver for the same, in which a normal mode and an emergency mode are automatically and compulsorily switched, so that the emergency message can be reliably transmitted.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method of notifying an emergency message and a radio selective call receiver for the same, in which an urgent disaster data is primarily notified.
In order to achieve an aspect of the present invention, a method of notifying messages in a radio selective call receiver, a call which includes an identifier and a message is received. In a normal mode, arrival of the call is notified and the message of the call is displayed as a normal mode message, when the identifier of the call is same as that allocated to the receiver as a self identifier. An operation mode is automatically switched from the normal mode into an emergency mode when the identifier of the call is a common identifier and the message is a first predetermined message. In the emergency mode, arrival of the call is notified and the message of the call is displayed as an individual emergency message, when the identifier of the call is same as the self identifier. Also, in the emergency mode, arrival of the call is notified and the message of the call is displayed as a common emergency message, when the identifier of the call is same as the common identifier.
The method according may further include automatically switching the operation mode from the emergency mode into the normal mode when the identifier of the call is the common identifier and the message is a second predetermined message.
Also, a battery voltage may be detected. The receiving operation is stopped in the normal mode when the detected battery voltage is lower than a predetermined voltage, and continued in the emergency mode even if the detected battery voltage is lower than the predetermined voltage. In this case, a symbol may be displayed to indicate that the detected battery voltage is lower than the predetermined voltage.
Also, in the notifying arrival of the call and the displaying the normal mode message in the normal mode, it is determined in the normal mode whether the normal mode message contains an error. In the normal mode, the arrival of the call is notified and the normal mode message is displayed, when it is determined that the normal mode message does not contain any error. Also, in the normal mode, the arrival of the call is notified and the normal mode message is displayed, when it is determined that the normal mode message contains any error, and when an error message display permission is set in the normal mode message. Moreover, in the normal mode, notification of the arrival of the call and display of the normal mode message may be stopped, when it is determined that the normal mode message contains any error, and when an error message display permission is not set in the normal mode message. In this case, in the emergency mode, arrival of the call is notified and the individual emergency message is displayed, when the identifier of the call is same as the self identifier, regardless of whether the individual emergency message contains the error. Also, in the emergency mode, arrival of the call is notified and the common emergency message is displayed, when the identifier of the call is same as the common identifier, regardless of whether the common emergency message contains the error.
In addition, a protection indicator may be set to each of ones of the received normal mode messages. The normal mode messages with the protection indicator are held in a higher priority than the normal mode messages with no protection indicator, and the individual or common emergency messages are held in a higher priority than the normal mode messages with the protection indicator. In this case, the newest message may be held in a higher priority than the oldest message in each of the individual or common emergency messages, the normal mode messages with the protection indicator, and the normal mode messages with no protection indicator.
In addition, it may be determined whether a confirmation switch is operated after the emergency mode is set. The notifying of arrival of the call is carried out in the emergency mode for a first predetermined time period, and for a second predetermined time period which is shorter than the first predetermined time period, when it is determined that the confirmation switch is operated after the emergency mode is set.
In addition, the automatically switching of the operation mode from the normal mode into the emergency mode is notified in a sound volume larger than that set for the notifying the arrival of the call.
In order to achieve another aspect of the present invention, a radio selective call receiver, includes a notifying section, a display unit, a receiving unit receiving a call which includes an identifier and a message, and a processor. The processor drives the notifying section to notify arrival of the call, and drives the display unit to display the message as a normal mode message in a normal mode, when the identifier of the call is same as that allocated to the receiver as a self identifier, as an individual emergency message in an emergency mode, when the identifier of the call is same as the self identifier, and as a common emergency message in the emergency mode, when the identifier of the call is a common identifier. Also, the processor drives the notifying section to notify arrival of the normal mode message in the normal mode, and arrival of the individual emergency message and the common emergency message in the emergency mode, and automatically switches the operation mode from the normal mode into the emergency mode when the identifier of the call is the common identifier and the message is a first predetermined message.
The processor may automatically switches the operation mode from the emergency mode into the normal mode when the identifier of the call is the common identifier and the message is a second predetermined message, and drives the display section and the notifying section to the switching of the operation mode.
When the radio selective call receiver may further include a detector detecting a battery voltage. At this time, the processor controls the receiving unit to stop the receiving operation of in the normal mode when the detected battery voltage is lower than a predetermined voltage, and to continue the receiving operation in the emergency mode even if the detected battery voltage is lower than the predetermined voltage. In this case, the processor controls the display unit to display a symbol indicating that the detected battery voltage is lower than the predetermined voltage.
The processor may determine in the normal mode whether the normal mode message contains an error. At this time, the processor controls the display unit and the notifying section in the normal mode, to notify the arrival of the call and to display the normal mode message, when it is determined that the normal mode message does not contain any error, in the normal mode, to notify the arrival of the call and to display the normal mode message, when it is determined that the normal mode message contains any error, and when an error message display permission is set in the normal mode message, and in the normal mode, to stop notification of the arrival of the call and to display of the normal mode message, when it is determined that the normal mode message contains any error, and when an error message display permission is not set in the normal mode message. In this case, the processor may control the display unit and the notifying section in the emergency mode, to notify arrival of the call and to display the individual emergency message, when the identifier of the call is same as the self identifier, regardless of whether the individual emergency message contains the error, and when the identifier of the call is same as the common identifier, regardless of whether the common emergency message contains the error.
In addition, the processor may selectively set a protection indicator to each of the received normal mode messages in accordance with an instruction by a user. At this time, the processor holds the normal mode messages with the protection indicator in a higher priority than the normal mode messages with no protection indicator, and holds the individual or common emergency messages in a higher priority than the normal mode messages with the protection indicator. In this case, the processor may hold the newest message in a higher priority than the oldest message in each of the individual or common emergency messages, the normal mode messages with the protection indicator, and the normal mode messages with no protection indicator.
In addition, the processor may determine whether a confirmation switch is operated after the emergency mode is set. At this time, the processor controls the notifying section to notify arrival of the call in the emergency mode for a first predetermined time period, and to notify arrival of the call in the emergency mode for a second predetermined time period which is shorter than the first predetermined time period, when it is determined that the confirmation switch is operated after the emergency mode is set.
In addition, the processor controls the notifying section to notify the switching of the operation mode into the emergency mode in a sound volume larger than that set to notify the arrival of the call in the normal mode.